Project Legacy (game)
Project Legacy is an open world, action-adventure, first-person survival video game developed by Appalon and published by Microsoft Studios. It places emphasis on how the player's survival instincts fare against the many hazards of an uncharted island. The game combines elements of a shooter, stealth, role-playing and strategy game and the game challenges players to survive by exploring, scavenging, and fighting off the hostile creatures of Skull Island. It was released for the Xbox One on November 27, 2018 and was met with positive reviews. Gameplay The player assumes the role of New York scriptwriter Jack Driscoll as he struggles to survive the threats of Skull Island in 1933. The game de-emphasizes the role of a heads-up display: it lacks a life bar, aiming reticle, a mini-map, ammunition readout (the ammo readout and aiming reticle can be turned on and off at the player's will, but will be disabled by default), further adding to the challenge and encouraging the player to find alternate weapons and techniques. Basics The player accesses the in-game menus through a backpack to manage statistics, maps, bestiary, and other equipment. Players should take note that weapons and other equipment will deteriorate over time and will require constant maintenance, i.e., guns may jam, or replacing a failing flashlight battery. The game lacks the ability to "fast travel" from one area to another by means of the menu, thereby encouraging the player to carefully trek through Skull Island's hazardous terrains. Foraging Though the island may be teeming with many dangerous creatures, Skull Island is a great place to be a hunter. The game features an immersive hunting system with the options for skinning, field dressing, harvesting and butchering of wild animals without the typical use of loot menus. The player is required to eat and drink 2-3 times a day (or when the need to arises), or else Jack will become too weak to fight or run and will eventually succumb to starvation or dehydration. The heavier the food, the more filling it is likely to be. Water will quench thirst and can be carried in a canteen. If the canteen becomes empty, the player can collect water from rain or swamps. Please note that these requirements only take effect after Jack's initial separation from his group. Camping While trekking through the perils of Skull Island, the player will come across areas with the option to set up camp. The player can build a campfire, from a small, fragile spark to a roaring blaze, and use it to cook and brew food that's harvested from animals or plants. The player can create campsites, build tents, tanning racks, and more by salvaging items in the surrounding world. The player should get a full night's sleep, or Jack may become fatigued. Weather Project Legacy ''features an immersive real-time weather system. The world alternates between clear skies, assorted degrees of overcast, fog, rain, and thunder storms. The length of these varies, and progresses naturally as the day goes on. On occasion, a relatively more dangerous hurricane may ensue. These storms are brought in from the ocean and temporarily go over the majority of Skull Island. During this time, high winds will cause trees and rocks to crumble and fall; potentially inflicting damage to the player. The player should also be weary of the occasional earthquake or fissure that may erupt throughout the island. Biome In ''Project Legacy, Skull Island is depicted as a refuge for a variety of prehistoric, bizarre, and nightmarish creatures. The player will be pitted against an intriguing living and breathing ecosystem as they ingest knowledge of the island's food chain. Plot Summary In 1933, during the Great Depression, New York City screenwriter Jack Driscoll is hired by financially troubled filmmaker Carl Denham to be a part of the seventh expedition of Project Legacy to the fabled Skull Island which Carl intends to use as a location for his next film. Jack intends on writing the script for Carl's newly planed film. While boarding a tramp steamer, the SS Venture, Jack is introduced to New York City vaudeville actress Ann Darrow, who is the to star in the film. He also meets with Herb, Carl's cameraman, Mike, Carl's soundman, Preston, Carl's assistant, and actor Bruce Baxter. Once on board, Carl's crew meets Englehorn, the captain and his crew, including Hayes, a World War One veteran, Lumpy the cook, Choy the janitor, and the Venture's lookout Jimmy. During the voyage, Captain Englehorn begins to have second thoughts, prompted by Lumpy and Hayes' speculation of trouble ahead. Deep in the southern waters, the Venture receives a radio message informing Englehorn that there is a warrant for Carl's arrest due to his defiance of the studio's orders to cease production. The message instructs Englehorn to divert to Rangoon, but the ship becomes lost in fog and runs aground on the rocky shore of Skull Island. Carl and his crew explore the island and are attacked by natives, who manage to kill Mike and Herb. Ann screams as they are attacked, and a loud roar is heard beyond a wall. After this, the matriarch of the tribe targets Ann and Jack. Englehorn kills one of the natives and his crew break up the attack. Back on the ship, they lighten their load to float off the rocks and carry out repairs, but Ann and Jack are kidnapped by Skull Islanders. When Jack finally wakes up on the island's shore tied to a stake, he can only watch as Ann is taken away by the natives. Carl and Hayes appear and rescue Jack. However, Jack is horrified to find out that one of the sailors, Briggs is dead and their lifeboat completely wrecked. Hayes shoots out a distress signal, informing Jack and Carl that if Englehorn sees it, he'll come looking for them via the ship's plane. The group heads upwards to a cave entrance leading into a dark, flooded cave. After fighting off several Cunaepraedators with their 9mm Luger P08 pistols, they head towards the exit and move out onto a rocky outcrop leading down to a stony beach. Carl suggest shooting some test shots for his movie, when suddenly a huge bellow erupts from the water. A Tartarusaurus emerges from the murk. After much man-made commotion the creature flees. While moving through the gigantic wooden door, large boulders begin to fall from the stone wall, separating the group. Jack is forced to continue on alone. During the dangerous journey through the jungle, Jack encounters a pair of Foetodons who are feasting on a dead Ligocristus. Jack is able to ward off the giant lizards by utilizing native spears in the surrounding areas. While continuing looking for Ann, Jack comes across a backpack in the canyon containing a journal entry, a cordage, and a Bestiary of the creatures inhabiting Skull Island. Nearby, Jack sees a seaplane being flown by Englehorn who drops a crate containing a Luger P08 and ammo, first-aid kit, knife, map, compass, and a flashlight. While trekking through the plains of Skull Island, Jack hears gunshots nearby and assumes its coming from his group. When rushing to their aid, Jack instead comes across a man who is being attacked by a Zeropteryx. After killing the large flightless bird, the man introduces himself as Hank Martin, a one-time WWI fighter pilot who crash-landed on Skull Island. Hank reveals that he managed to survive this long with the aid of the natives. When asking the formal WWI pilot where the natives might have taken Ann, Hank replies with the belief that the natives brought her to Skull Mountain in preparations for a potential sacrifice. Hank reveals that the Skull Islanders worship a monstrous serpent who he dubs the name "Skullcrawler". Jack eventually comes across a raft. Nearby, Carl and Hayes are seen escaping the Skull Islanders before finally reuniting with Jack. While rafting, the group is attacked by a swarm of Scorpio-pedes. After defending the raft, the remaining Scorpio-pedes are sent scurrying away when a Piranhadon surfaces. The river-dwelling serpent manages to destroy the raft and nearly drowned the group. After waking up, Jack realizes he and Carl have been separated from Hayes. Meanwhile, Carl laments over the destruction of his camera and begins to give up, heading downstream towards the Venture. Jack continues his pursuit of Ann.